The invention relates to a method for processing1 workpieces with laser radiation that is focused on a to-be-processed workpiece surface by means of a laser beam that is not moved relative to the workpiece.
1TRANSLATOR""S NOTE: The German word xe2x80x9cBearbeitungxe2x80x9d can be translated variously as processing, machining, treating or working. We have chosen xe2x80x9cprocessingxe2x80x9d over xe2x80x9cmachiningxe2x80x9d because it is more generic, and have rejected xe2x80x9ctreatingxe2x80x9d as implying some change in the properties of the material and xe2x80x9cworkingxe2x80x9d as implying deformation of it. 
The aforesaid method is known from DE-A 33 44 709. Workpieces are deburred by this method. The laser beam is stationary. Its focal diameter is selected as so large that the entire area for deburring is covered. However, most of the beam energy fails to be used for burr removal because it falls on areas that are not intended for deburring or on areas where no workpiece is present, e.g. on holes in the workpiece. A large proportion of the energy of the laser radiation is therefore unused, and depending on the conformation of the workpiece, special measures may even be needed to ensure that the unused laser radiation is not harmful to the surroundings in areas of the workpiece not intended for deburring or areas adjacent the workpiece.
The task of the invention, by contrast, is to improve a method comprising the foregoing steps in such a way that a laser beam that is stationary relative to the workpiece can be used to process a workpiece surface diverging from the punctiform without wasting any of the available energy of the laser beam.
The aforesaid task is accomplished in that the laser beam is focused in a line-like manner and its beam spot corresponds practically exclusively and with full areal coverage to the workpiece surface to be processed.
It is essential to the invention that the beam spot of the laser beam be focused in a line-like manner in such a way that the workpiece surface for processing is irradiated as exactly as possible, specifically over its entire area. Consequently, the entire workpiece surface for processing is also simultaneously heated, and the heating simultaneously causes desirable processes to occur in the workpiece, e.g., melting of a parting line or a joint. Workpieces can also be processed over a larger area, however, provided that the laser beam functions in a line-like manner over the entire area, for example in the case of material transformations on hardened laser tracks.
The approach can be such that a focused line that is uniformly narrow over its entire length is used. Such uniformly narrow lines lend themselves especially well to joining and severing processes suitable for use in mass production. The narrow, focused line can be realized in such a way that high energy densities of the kind needed for joining or severing can be attained with the available laser sources. For example, metal foil or strips of thin or ultra-thin metal plate can be severed transversely. Such narrowly focused lines are also advantageous when there are problems in machining the material due to wear of the tool and/or impermissible mechanical stress on the strip material. Such severing processes are advantageously carried out such that the entire width of a plate or a traveling strip is severed in a pulsed manner by means of linear laser radiation.
A large number of processing operations on shapes and webs can be performed with the method described above. It is advantageous if the approach is such that the line extends over the entire width of the workpiece and/or forms a contour with an unirradiated center and/or follows an arbitrarily predetermined course and/or exhibits a nonuniform width over its course. Lines extending over the entire width of the workpiece are advantageous in particular in the severing or joining of workpieces. If a line forms a contour with an unirradiated center, recesses corresponding to the contour can be made in the workpiece. In such cases the shape of the line is of no consequence, as a rule. The line can follow any arbitrarily predetermined course, for example it can have curves. The nonuniform width of the line over its course can be advantageous when an influence is to be exerted on the shape of a parting line, joint line or recess.
If the output of the available laser sources is limited, it can be advantageous to perform the method in such a way that the line used is made up of component lengths that cover the entire length of the line simultaneously or in cycles consecutively. In this case the approach is to use laser radiation preferably emanating from a plurality of laser sources and consisting of an uninterrupted sequence of individual beams or groups thereof that simultaneously cover the entire line length or a component length. A plurality of laser sources can thus be used to irradiate the entire length of the line simultaneously. A single laser is sufficient if the line as a whole is to be worked through consecutively in cycles.
It is especially advantageous if the laser radiation is generated by means of diode laser bars and/or diode laser stacks. Diode laser bars and stacks each employ a plurality of laser diodes. Their laser radiation can be aligned and focused in linear form by suitable arrangement of the bars or stacks. They are especially well suited for focusing the laser beamxe2x80x94which then consists of a plurality of component beams from the individual laser diodesxe2x80x94in a line-like manner and allowing it to irradiate the entire area of the workpiece surface being processed.
The method can be performed in such a way that the laser radiation is used for severing. A processing operation similar to shearing takes place, since the workpiece is irradiated in a pulse-like manner and is disunited into its severed pieces. This is a contactless cutting operation that does not have the considerable disadvantages of mechanical severing methods performed with cutters. In particular, mechanical deformation of the workpiece is avoided.
For practical use, the above-described method is especially advantageous if a laser radiation source and/or at least one processing head delivering a laser beam are comoved with and at the same speed as a moving workpiece as the workpiece is being irradiated. The comovement of the laser radiation source with a moving workpiece makes it possible to use the method in particular for the transverse severing of sheet or strip material. The most frequently used method at present for the transverse severing of strip material consists in the use of mechanical means, so-called xe2x80x9cflying shearingxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ceccentric shearing.xe2x80x9d In this method, a cutter or a guillotine shear disposed transversely to the strip is comoved with the traveling strip for a short distance. The simultaneous process of raising the cutter and comoving it with the strip must be performed in such a way that the cutter travels exactly along with the strip while it is embedded in the strip material and then turns back oppositely to the direction of strip motion. The drives required for this arrangement, for example eccentric drives, must reach the highest possible cycle rates. This is limited by mechanical factors, however, particularly when the cutter or drive masses have a relatively high weight and the accelerative and decelerative forces are correspondingly high. In particular, this means that the eccentric needs a start-up and a run-down time, as well as a very high-cost, stable machine frame because of the high forces generated. The cutting process induces mechanical stresses in the workpiece material and can lead to burring and strain hardening in the region of the cut edge. The above-described severing methods do not have the disadvantages of the known mechanical severing arrangements. Particularly with the use of diode laser bars or diode laser stacks, the mass that must be moved is comparatively slight. Their rate of travel or that of the laser cutting heads can therefore be significantly higher than the speed of the strip. High cycle rates and short segments of strip between two processing operations can be obtained if the workpiece is processed while in motion. The overall lengths of the parts being moved are relatively small in the direction of feed, and the amount of floor space required for the cutting frame is also, therefore, relatively small.
The method is advantageously performed in such a way that as the workpiece is being irradiated, mechanical or magnetic means are used to sever it into severed pieces. The use of mechanical or magnetic means creates a melt-free interspace between the severed parts. It is then unnecessary to continue to irradiate the workpiece surface being processed in order to keep the melted material from hardening prematurely before the parts that are to be severed are severed from one another. With magnetic means, for example a magnetic field acting on the melt, the operation can be carried out by a contactless mechanical method. The mechanical means is appropriately selected.
It is advantageous, for example, if the mechanical means comprises gas nozzles that eject melt from the melted region of the workpiece. With gas nozzles it is possible to use gas jets whose pressure effect ejects the melt.
However, the method can also be performed in such a way that the mechanical means is a source of parting force that removes the severed pieces of the workpiece from one another. In the most general case, these are gripping devices that lay hold of the severed pieces and pull them apart.
If a continuous processing operation is to be performed, the approach can be such that the workpiece is advanced by means of spaced-apart conveying means between which the laserradiation processing takes place and which serve as sources of parting force. The conveying means ensures the continuous advancement of the workpiece and simultaneously eliminates the need for any separate mechanical severing means.
The above-described method can be accomplished in an especially simple manner if the conveying means used is a pair of driving rollers with differently controlled conveying speeds for severing the parts that are to be severed. Driving-roller pairs are proven means of conveyance in materials-handling technology, and they can be driven at different conveying speeds with comparatively little expenditure, thus severing the pieces of the workpiece that are to be severed.
Some of the method steps described hereinabove can also be used for other processing operations in which high-energy radiation is employed. Hardening and soldering are examples of is such processes. Above all, however, it is advantageous if the line-like laser radiation is used for linear joining. Linear joining is particularly advantageous in mass production processes, where it can improve spot welding by making it possible for larger linear or areal regions to be connected with the same expenditure of time, thereby substantially increasing the strength of the connection.
The method can be used on workpieces made of the widest variety of materials and of different materials. However, it is advantageous if a workpiece made of thin metal plate, foil or molded plastic parts is used. Thin metal plate can be subjected to linear processing even at relatively low radiation intensities, as can metal foil, plastic foil or molded plastic parts.
The invention relates to a method for processing workpieces with laser radiation that is focused on a to-be-processed workpiece surface by means of a laser beam that is not moved relative to the workpiece.
With such a device, the disadvantages described in the preamble to the specification can be avoided and the stated advantages achieved if the laser beam is focused linearly and its beam spot corresponds practically exclusively and with full areal coverage to the workpiece surface to be processed.
A device that is characterized in that the laser beam covers with a line-like beam spot the entire length of a predetermined parting line on the workpiece, and in that the severing means for severing the to-be-severed pieces of the workpiece is present during this irradiation, is particularly well suited for dividing workpieces or for shaping them by cutting out or cutting off portions thereof.
To bring it about that the workpiece is not moved in relation to the laser beam, the device is realized so that it comprises a controlled drive that is able to adjust, in accordance with any movements and/or positionings of the workpiece, a laser source that serves to generate the laser beam and/or a device delivering the laser beam. Movements of the workpiece relative to the laser beam or a plurality of laser beams can be compensated by means of such a device. The control of the movement of the laser beam is effected in coordination with the movement of the workpiece. There is no relative motion between the laser beam and the workpiece. By means of the controlled drive, however, it is possible to offset different positionings of a workpiece or of workpieces that are to be processed consecutively in that the drive is controlled in accordance with the different positionings of a workpiece or a plurality of workpieces. The control of the drive is influenced, for example, by a position-detecting system, e.g., by position-monitoring video cameras.
For processing on a conveyor belt, i.e., for continuous processing, the above-described device can be realized in such a way that the workpiece is conveyed by rollers and a controller is present for tensioning or severing the workpiece. The controller can influence the severing means or the conveying means serving for roller conveyance.
In an improvement of the device, it is provided that diode laser beam tools are present for generating the laser radiation. Said diode laser beam tools can be, for example, diode laser bars or diode laser stacks, which by their very mechanical arrangement are especially well suited for generating laser radiation that is focused in a line-like manner.
The device can be used as an optical eccentric shear if an eccentric drive is present to bring about comovement of a beam tool with the workpiece, at an equally fast speed, as the workpiece is being irradiated. With such an eccentric drive, a source of laser radiation generating the line-like laser beam is comoved with the workpiece, as in the case of conventional mechanical eccentric shears, by the eccentric drive during the irradiation process, by means of a belt, for example. During this short time there is no relative motion between the workpiece and the tool, as the cutting process takes place on the conveyor belt. The laser radiation source is then guided back oppositely to the travel of the belt to then initiate a further cutting process, taking the nominal segment length into account. In contrast to the case with mechanical eccentric shears, elevation vertical to the surface of the workpiece is not necessary, although it is permitted when the cutting pulse is not present. The radiation source could thus be moved in a linear guide or across the workpiece in or against the direction of travel thereof, and can be driven, for example, by one or more rotary motors via one or more connecting rods.
Beam tools have a comparatively low mass, so that high relative reverse speeds can be attained, as well as short start-up and run-down times for the device.
The device can be realized in such a way that two line-like laser beams are present and are directed at workpiece surfaces disposed one on top of the other in the same processing zone or disposed in consecutive processing zones. The workpiece thus can be processed more quickly since it is being irradiated from both sides at the same time, the melting process progressing correspondingly more rapidly if the two laser beams are directed at the same processing zone. If the laser beams are directed at consecutive processing zones, a corresponding increase in the processing rate or an increase in cycle rate can be achieved, especially in the case of moving laser-beam tools. The direction of irradiation can be preserved in each case. When a processing zone is processed with two laser beams, particularly in combination with an eccentric drive to comove the beam tool with the work, the two beam tools that are then necessary are able to cooperate to offset imbalances. The stresses on the machine frame are lower and the device is smooth-running.
When two laser beams are present, the device is advantageously realized so that the two laser beams are arranged at an angle to each other. The angle need only be large enough so that neither laser beam enters the output device of the other and causes undesirable heating or destruction there.
The device can be implemented to include adjusting means for the course and/or shape and/or focus of the line and/or the intensity variation of the laser radiation over the length of the line. With this adjusting means, the device can be implemented to achieve high flexibility of application. The adjusting means for the course of the line can be used to set curves or angles, for example. A line shape adjusting means makes it possible, for example, for very narrow line segments to be exchanged for slightly less narrow ones. Line focus adjusting means permit adaptations to the surface and/or thickness of the workpiece. Adjusting means for the intensity variation of the laser radiation permit different welding depths, for example.